Three Canadian cities remain among the most livable cities in the world, according to an annual ranking released Thursday.
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), revealed its ranking of the world’s most livable cities for 2023, with Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto landing a spot in the top 10.
The EIU, a sister organization to The Economist, ranked 173 cities around the world on a number of significant factors, including health care, education, stability, infrastructure, and environment.
Vienna held onto its first place spot on the EIU’s Global Livability Index, winning praise for its reliable infrastructure, standout culture and entertainment, and impeccable education and health services.
The city, which has occupied the top position several times over the years, was closely followed by Denmark’s Copenhagen, which retained its second place position. Denmark was followed by Melbourne and Sydney, respectively.
Canada was well represented this year, with Vancouver (5th), Calgary (7th), and Toronto (9th) securing spots in the top 10, with two cities in Switzerland, and two in Asia (a New Zealand and a Japanese city are joint tenth) make up the rest of the top positions.
"EIU’s Livability Index has risen significantly in the 2023 survey, reaching a 15-year high as the world moves on from the COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare and education scores improve in many cities in Asia and the Middle East and Africa," reads the report. "However, scores for stability have slipped backwards since last year, amid several instances of civil unrest around the world."
2023’s Global Livability Index: The top 10
1. Vienna, Austria
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Melbourne, Australia
4. Sydney, Australia
5. Vancouver, Canada
6. Zurich, Switzerland
7. Calgary, Canada
7. Geneva, Switzerland
9. Toronto, Canada
10. Osaka, Japan
According to the report, Asia-Pacific cities have made some of the biggest gains, accounting for eight of top ten movers up the rankings as economies recover from the pandemic.
Wellington (New Zealand) climbed 35 places to 23rd place, Auckland (New Zealand) by 25, while Hanoi (Vietnam) has moved up 20 spots, as their COVID restrictions were lifted.
Western European cities have slipped down the rankings in the 2023 survey. Increased instances of workers’ strikes and civil unrest have hurt their stability ratings and they have failed to match gains made by cities in Asia and the Middle East.
Kyiv is back in the survey, having been forced out by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, the city ranks a lowly 165th out of the 173 cities in the survey, with its stability and infrastructure damaged by the war. Moscow (Russia), which fell to 96th place in 2022, has remained stable this year.
Damascus (Syria) and Tripoli (Libya) are still at the bottom of the list, held back by social unrest, terrorism, and conflict. However, while Damascus has seen no improvement since last year, scores for Tripoli and other cities in the bottom ten have improved as the pandemic has receded.
You can find the full report here.
